Shepard in Sherwood
by Ladyamesindy
Summary: During some shared downtime, Shepard allows Kaidan to see her in a light he never has ... Rating M just to be safe (a couple suggestive lines) but otherwise very safe.


_**This is a bit of silliness that came about after watching Disney's Robin Hood (my all time favorite Disney movie!) last night with my son and chatting with friends on Tumblr at the same time. I'm rating it M just to be safe because of some suggestive talk. Anyway, enjoy!**_

* * *

Shepard eyed the room critically, running through a mental checklist.

Blankets - check.

As many pillows as possible - check.

Popcorn - check.

Hot cocoa - well, sort of check. (This was actually keeping warm on the stovetop at the moment, one of those old style spray cans of whipped cream at the ready in the fridge, too)

Chocolate candy for later - check.

The only thing missing ….

"Hey, Alenko, hurry up and get that biotic booty down here!" Shepard called upstairs.

The padding of bare feet on carpet could be heard and Shepard glanced around the corner in the direction of the staircase. A huge grin crossed her face as Kaidan stepped into sight - apparently, 'comfy pjs' for him was a pair of sweatpants. Shepard felt her lips curving upwards into a smile of appreciation. His sultry chuckle informed her it must have reached her eyes as well. "You called?" he asked as he descended.

Shepard's grin widened and she nodded. "_IF_ you're quite ready?" she announced, gesturing him over towards the sofa. "Just have a seat - I'll be right back." A few minutes later, she returned with the hot cocoa and whipped cream. Taking a seat beside him, she first pulled over the pillows, placing them strategically around them on the sofa. Next came the blankets, Shepard curling one around her bare feet. Then the hot cocoa.

Kaidan eyed the can she took into hand suspiciously. "What is that for?"

Shepard chuckled at the wariness she saw in his eyes. "Not for _that_," she assured him in a soft purr. "Well, not unless there's leftovers. Later." So saying she winked at him and began swirling a thick layer of the sweet cream into the mug, expertly covering the hot cocoa before turning to do the same in her mug. Grabbing the bowl of popcorn next, she placed it between them, then snuggled into the blankets and pressed the button on the remote. The lights dimmed and the vid screen lit up.

"Shepard, you're going to an awful lot of trouble just for a movie," Kaidan observed. But, he snuggled down next to her.

Shepard shook her head as the intro started. "Not at all," she countered. "This movie is sooooooooo worth it! Now … HUSH!"

The opening strains of music was actually a strumming sound which confused Kaidan for a moment. Most movies began with huge orchestral pieces. And then the animation appeared on the screen … and a …

Kaidan frowned. "Is that a chicken?"

Shepard shushed him just on principal. "That's Allan-a-Dale. He's a _rooster_," she explained. "He's sort of … well … the narrator, I guess. Now, hush and _watch_!"

Kaidan did as she bade him … sort of. But instead of watching the movie, he found himself watching Shepard watching the movie. She was curled up in her comfy pjs (leggings and an oversized Spectre t-shirt) and had her hair pulled back into a long, thick braid down her back. This was as relaxed as he had ever seen her.

But most importantly, to his way of thinking, he realized he was witnessing Shepard's inner child coming out. She was scrambling through Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood and Little John. With Maid Marian and Lady Kluck. Through the insanity of the archery tournament. Through Robin and Marian's rekindled romance. Through the capture and later rescue of Friar Tuck and the other people of Nottingham that Prince John had had taken captive for not paying increased taxes. It did not surprise Kaidan one bit that Shepard knew every single word to every line in the movie, lips moving silently in recitation as each character spoke it. Every note and word of every song, either. Each and every piece of action that crossed the screen before them.

In the end, the only thing that really surprised Kaidan was that Shepard hadn't shared this with her before now.

Kaidan found himself laughing as Shepard alternately giggled and booed loudly at the puppet show portraying Prince John and Sir Hiss. He reached for and rescued the bowl of popcorn as she began throwing pieces at the vid screen. He handed over a couple of tissues he found nearby later, when so many of the people ended up in the Prince's prisons. He held Shepard's hand, wincing as her grip tightened and released, as Robin and Little John snuck stealthily into the castle to free everyone. And finally, he cheered along with her as Robin and Marian rode off into the sunset, married and with plans to live happily ever after, King Richard most decidedly now having an outlaw for an inlaw.

By the time the last credits rolled, Kaidan was seated on the floor with her, the comfort of the sofa forgotten. They had a pile of pillows beneath them and the blankets over and around them.

"So," Shepard finally asked, still humming the final song as she flipped onto her back, her head on his lap and staring up at him. "What did you think?"

Kaidan pondered this a moment as he used his hand to comb loose strands of her hair away from her eyes. "Well, I'm not exactly sure," he announced after a time. "How about we watch it again? Give me more to work with?"

This apparently was the right thing to say as Shepard reached for the remote and started the movie once again. This time, as the music began, Kaidan snuggled up with her and sang along ….


End file.
